Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Shocktober Day 11 - Retro Horror - Dreadful Buffy

(Today's Retro Horror post is a little different. I wanted to expound on the week's theme of suspicion, but didn't want to be quite as on-the-nose as I was yesterday in discussing the topic. Instead, I present to you one of my favorite examples of an unusual character. This is from a Dread scenario I co-GM'ed with my little sister, and, well, honestly... read through it and tell me - would you trust a character that was so deliberately useless and clearly a drag on the group? What is he planning?! Serious paranoia fodder going on here.)

So we played a game of Dread tonight, an original scenario written by Lil' Sis with my assistance. She's played several Dread games, but is not a fan of really spooky stuff so we based it in our hometown but in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer universe, so lots of comedy. It was a very interesting game with both ups and downs, but I came away with a lot of good lessons co-GM'ing with the squirt in her very first GM experience. I played a lot of NPC's for my part co-GM. I got to play an idiot local teenager, an idiot local vampire, and some good-natured local priests, it was awesome. The best thing? This character sheet from the sister's boyfriend. This is how characters are made in Dread, by the way, you just fill out a character questionaire. I give you, the Nerd:

1. What talent do you have that people don't know about?

I can move in slowwwww motion.

2. You've done some independent research online about the supernatural, what's the weirdest thing you've found out that's actually true?

Slow people live longer.

3. Do you feel like you were meant for something more, why?

No. I was meant to be a pain the butt and slow everything down.

4. When you were a kid, you ran into the biggest, meanest wild dog you've ever seen. What happened and how did it affect you?

I overanalyzed the situation, debating about what I should do, accidentally moving in slow motion, and getting my arm chewed off in the process. (I asked him which arm and how much was left - he answered his entire left arm and he lost 3 ribs!)

5. What do you dream of some day being able to do to the bullies that tortured you in high school?

Sit down and have a coffee with them, listen to their life story, have the dog chew their arm off.

6. Would you ever use supernatural powers to aid you in your hunt, and if so, how?

No, my extreme slowness does nothing but make everything twice as difficult.

7. How did you find the hunter group to join up with them?

Someone texted me.

8. When intimidated, how do you carry yourself?

Curl up in the fetal position.

9. What keeps you fighting the good fight as opposed to just moving away and starting anew?

I was told by a higher power to fight the good fight?

10. What's your name?

Xerxes

Basically he just created the most nerfed Dread character ever, since your answers indicate your basic ability levels. He's slow, annoying, spiteful, and prone to falling into a fetal position in stressful times. He stayed true to character the entire game. Just awesome.